Chapter 19

The blisters on my hands have since split and started screaming at me. Levi had given me a pair of gloves, but they’re too large for my hands so they make it difficult to work, which means I’d taken them off often so I could better grab things. At some point, I know my hands will harden up, but for now, they hurt so badly, I end up wrapping them a little after the day of work.

My muscles are killing me as much as my hands are. My back aches from all the heavy lifting and my arms and legs feel as if I did a particularly brutal workout the day before. I know in another day, I’ll feel even worse. The second day is always the most painful.

When I go to dinner that night and find a nice meal of hamburgers and fries, I make sure to take a few pain pills with it. Hopefully, it’ll help ease some of the muscle strain, so I’ll be able to sleep. If not, I imagine I’m going to have one long painful night.

“Whatcha doing there?” Wiley asks as I toss the pill back and take a large drink of water.

I glance over at him. “Just some painkillers. Nothing crazy.”

His eyes take me in, noticing the way I wince when I move and the general discomfort from sitting on the hard wooden chair. He doesn’t comment though so I think he lets it go, that is until dinner is finished, and I head back to my cabin.

Wiley follows after me, walking me back like we’re a couple of teenagers and he’s walking me to the door. “How badly do you hurt?” he asks.

“I’m fine,” I answer, not wanting to make a big deal of it and definitely not wanting Dakota to know that I’m so unfit that this is killing me.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” he chastises. “It’s normal to hurt. You’ve been doing things you’ve never done before. No one will blame you for that.”

I hesitate. “I don’t really wanna give Dakota an excuse to fire me.”

Wiley snorts. “He’s not going to fire you, silly goose. He may not say it, but he likes you. You’re learning and he knows that.”

I glance over at him as we near my door. “Well. . . I might hurt a little,” I admit.

His chuckle sends a thrill through me. Everything about Wiley is so carefree and adorable. He’s the kind of man who makes everything fun, no matter if you’re shoveling manure or playing hopscotch.

“I’ve got something for that, if you let me come in,” he offers with a wiggle of his brows.

“Oh?” I laugh, opening the door. They don’t lock them here and though at first I’d worried, I’d soon realized everyone here is trustworthy or else they wouldn’t work here. “Well, by all means, come on in. What magical secret are you keeping?”

“No secret,” he says, following me inside. “Just magic fingers. At one point, I took massage classes so I could transfer that knowledge to my horses.”

I blink. “What?”

He shrugs. “Pregnant mares like massages. I imagine any pregnant lady would.”

Laughing at his words, I pet William when he deigns to come say hello. “Okay, so you know how to give a massage. That’s a good quality in a man.”

“That’s not even my best quality,” he says, grinning. “I also make a really great lasagna. Does it count if it’s my ma’s recipe? I feel like it should.”

“Oh, it definitely counts. Just keep offering all the green flags,” I laugh. “I doubt you have any red ones.”

His smile falls. “Everyone has red flags, Kate.” But he immediately wipes the expression away before I can comment and directs me to sit on the couch. I do as he says despite the weird tension and wait as he sits behind me. “The trick is to find the knots,” he murmurs. “Find the knots, ease the pain.”

And then he works magic on me in such a way that it’s a wonder he doesn’t have a line of women waiting to fall in love with him. He starts at my shoulders, massaging and working out the knots. He moves slowly, intentionally, until I’m moaning with the way he’s moving his fingers. He spends thirty minutes easing out some of my tension, and when he’s done, I nearly beg him to continue. Wiley is dangerous that way. Maybe that’s his red flag?

“I should probably go,” Wiley says. “Another early morning tomorrow.”

“Of course,” I groan. “I didn’t mean to keep you away.”

He pets William on the head as he passes and heads for the door. But when I open it and he walks out, he turns and leans against the doorjamb instead, looking down at me with those soulful eyes. Tension dances between us as we stare at each other, and I’m not even sure what to say.

“Thanks,” I rasp. “For the massage.”

“Any time,” he says, grinning. He reaches out and cups my chin, tilting it up, and we linger there for a moment, staring into each other’s eyes. “Good night, Kate,” he murmurs.

“Good night.”

It feels like we should kiss. It certainly feels like he wants to, but he caresses my chin once more and steps back. He tips the rim of his hat to me and grins. “You’ll need your rest. You’re with Dakota tomorrow.”

“Good night,” I repeat as he turns to walk away, because what else do I say? Come back? Kiss me, you animal?

He grins at me over his shoulder. “Good night, darlin’.”

When I close the door, I have to lean against it for a few seconds. All the country songs warn us about them cowboys. Now I know why.

They’re all just one step away from making us fall in love.